Deyice foe recording the readings of gas meters



(No Model.) 2 sheets-sheet 1.

D.E.FELT. v DEVICE FOR RECORDING THE READINGS 0F GAS METERS.

No. 450,664. Patented Apr. 21, 1891 65 65: v v I VJQZMLQZWQ -(No Model.)2 Sheets'-Sheet 2.

v D.E.PELT. DEVIGE FOR RECORDING THE READINGS OP GAS METERS.

No. 450,664, PatentedApr. 21, 18.91

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DORR E. FELT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND GEORGE \V.MARTIN, OF

DEVICE FOR RECORDING THE SAME PLACE. I

READINGS OF GAS-METERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 450,664, dated April21, 1891.

Application filed November 11, 1890.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I,DORR E. FELT, residing at Chicago, county of Cook,and State of Illinois, and a citizen of the United States, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Recording theReadings of Meters, of which the following is a speci fication,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is aside elevation of the recording or printing device, the meter being insection, and showing the recording device about to be inserted. Fig. 2is a vertical section through the recording device on line 2 2 of Fig.3. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the recording device. Fig. 4 is adetail showing the inking device, and Fig. 5 is a detail showing thedials and pointers adapted to make an impression upon the paper.

This invention relates to devices for recordin g the amounts indicatedby a gas-meter, and is designed as an improvement upon the device shownand described in the application of myself and George W. Martin, filedSeptember22, 1890, Serial No. 365,829.

The object of my present invention is to simplify and improve theconstruction of devices of this class and to cause the recording to bedone positively and uniformly; and my invention consists in the severalimprovements in the devices for causing the record to be made upon paperof the amount indicated by the dials and pointers of the meters, whichare adapted to make a record or impression upon such paper.

In the drawings, A indicates a gas or fluid meter, which may be of anyof the ordinary forms of construction. This meter A is provided withdials and pointers a, formed as described in the said previousapplication or in other suitable manner, so that the dials and pointersare adapted to be inked for the purpose of making an impression orrecord.

B indicates a case formed with or secured to the meter Ain front ofthedials and pointers a. The meters A may vary in size and capacity; butwhere the record is to be made bya single recording device the case Bshould be of the same size on all sizes of meters. However, if desired,different-sized cases B Serial No. 371,109. (No model.)

may be used, which will necessitate differentsized recording devices, aswill hereinafter appear. recording device, hereinafter described. Eachcase may be provided with a glass or sightopening, through which thedials and pointer may be observed at any time. 7

D indicates the frame of the recording device. sheet metal and is madein suitable form to support the operating parts, as hereinafter setforth.

E indicates an inking-roll, which is provided with journals 6, as best.shown in Fig. 4:. These journals 6 are mounted in springarms 6, as shownin Fig. 4, which spring-arms are secured to a shell F in such positionthat they will act to press the inking-roller E toward the front of therecording devices whenv the shell F is rotated into operative position,I as hereinafter set forth. The shell F is pivoted in the frame D 011two journals f and it is provided with a return-spring f, which acts tonormally keep it in the position shown in Fig. 2. The shell F has a pinwhich projects through the frame D in such position that it can beengaged by a projecting edge G, Fig. 1, within the case B of each meterA. The frame D is provided with a recess d, adapted to receive the pin 9when the shell A is rotated into operative position, as hereinaftersetiorth.

H indicates an operating-handle, which is provided with a bail h, whichextends downwardly through the frame D. To the bail h on each side ispivoted an elbow-lever J, each of which is pivoted to the frame D upon apivotj, as best shown in Fig. 2. Upon the lower arms of the elbow-leversJ is pivoted a platen K, upon which the cards or slips of paper toreceive the impressions are placed in a pack or bunch. The cards orslipsof paper 70 are held in position upon the platen K by means of aspring L, whose ends are coiled around a rod l, secured in the upperpart of the frame D. The tension of this spring L is suflicient to holdthe papers upon the platen K. This spring L is preferably bent in theform shown in Fig. 3, so that it will securely hold the paper near thepoints at which the Each case B is adapted to receive a V This frame ispreferably made out of impressions are made. The form of the spring,however, may be varied somewhat.

M indicates one or more rods, preferably located in a vertical positionupon the outside of the frame D. I have shown two rods M, as for manyreasons two are preferable to one; but in some cases a single rod mightbe used. Each rod M isnprovided with a bent end, which forms a latch m,and the frame D is slotted to permit the passage of this latch, as bestshown in Figs. 1 and 2. The platen K or elbow-levers are provided withcatches N, one for each latch m, arranged in such position that it willbe engaged by the latch when the platen is returned to the inoperativeposition, as shown in Fig. 2. The rod M is provided with a spring a,which acts to normally press the rod downward, and therefore to keep thelatch m in engagement with the 'catch N.

The case B may be provided, if desired, with a springcover O, as shownin Fig. 1.

The person making the records of the meters carries the recording devicewith him. A number of cards or slips of paper 70 are placed upon theplaten K and are then held there by the spring L. The person making therecord proceeds to the several meters in succession and at each meterinserts the recordingdevice after raising the lid 0, if such lid isused.

Prior to the time of inserting the recording device into the case Bofeach meter the operative parts of said recording device normally occupythe position shown in Fig. 2.

I As the recording device is inserted into a case B, the pin 9 upon theshell F will engage the upper portion of the edge G and cause the shellF to rock on its journals f to expose the inking-roller E, as shown inFig. 3. The further insertion of the recording device will cause the pin9 to swing backward into the recess d in the frame D, thereby permittingthe recording device to readily descend into the case B. The rocking ofthe shellF brings an open side (indicated at c, Fig. 2) to the front ofthe recording device, and thereby brings the inking-roller E into suchposition that, as the recording device passes downward, theinking-roller E will ink the recording-disks and pointers a of thegas-meter A, thereby fitting them for making an impression or record, ashereinafter set forth. The further insertion of the record-ing devicewill cause the ends of the rod or rods M to engage with the bottom ofthe case B, thereby lifting such rods against their springs 02 andreleasing the latches m from the catches N. When the latches are thusreleased from the catches N,

"forward toward the recording-disks and point- "ers a of the meter A.This operation will cause the pointers and dials a, which have beeninked by the roller E, to make an imprcssion upon the slips of paper7.". carried by the platen K. The operator then lifts upward upon thehandle H, which will cause the lower arms of the bell-crank levers J toswing backwardly, carrying the platen backward from the recording-disksor pointers a. The springL will assist in swinging the-platen Kbackward'and insure the removal of the slip of paper which has receivedthe impression from the recording-dials and pointers before commencementof the removal of the recording device from the case B. When the platenK has returned to its inoperative position, the latches at will engagewith the catches N, thereby locking it in such position, and furtherupward movement of the handle H will draw the recording device from thecase B. After the recording device has been removed from the case andthe pin 9 is removed from contact with the edge G the shell F will bereturned to the position shown in Fig. 2 by means of its return-springf. The inking-roller E will thereby be covered or concealed, so that therecording device can be readily carried by the operator without dangerof soiling from the inkingroller. The operator then removes the slip ofpaper It, which has received the impression, and the device is ready tobe used in making the record of a succeeding meter.

The top slip of paper having the impression may be readily withdrawnfrom beneath the spring L; but in case the tension of thespring L iscomparatively great, then the spring L may be slightly lifted.

The device for operating the latches m may be varied. The essentialfeature is that the platen be held in inoperative position by a.

latch, which will be released byengagement with the case or some partprojectingfrom the meter'A when the recording device is inserted inposition for making the record.

I do not broadly claim the combination, with a gas-meter havingindicating mechanism constructed to be inked, of a case connected withthe meter in front of the indicat ing mechanism, a device movable intoand out of the said attached case and provided with a paper-carrier, andmeans whereby the paper is moved to receive an impression of the inkedindicating mechanism when said device is inserted into the attachedcase; nor do I broadly claim the combination, with a case havingindicating devices constructed to be inked, of a paper-carrier and meanswhereby the paper is pressed upon the inked indi eating devices to makean impression thereof upon such paper and thereby record the quantity ofgas registered by the meter, and finally I do not broadlyclaim thecombination, with a gas-meter and numeral dials and pointers whichregister the quantity of gas flowing through the meter, of apaper-carrier and devices for pressing the paper against the dials toimpress the position of the dial nu merals and pointers on the paper andrecord the quantity of gas registered by the me ter, as suchcombinations constitute the subfleet-matter of an application filed bymyself and George W. Martin September 20, 1890, Serial No. 365,829. 9

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is Y 1. Adevice to be temporarily applied for obtaining a copy of the readings ofgas-meters, consisting of a frame having a movable paper-carrying platenand means for moving the platen in the frame to cause it to receive animpression of the state of the meter when the frame is held in front ofthe latter, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a gas-meter having a casein front of theindicating devices or register, of a frame movable into and out of saidcase and having a movable paper-carrying platen and means for moving theplaten when the frame is inserted into the case to cause the paper toreceive an impression of the indicating devices or register,substantially as described.

3. The combination, with a frame D, adapted to be held in front ofrecording-disks of a gas-meter, of elbow-levers J, pivoted on saidframe, a platen K, carried by said levers and adapted to support slipsof paper, handle H, and bail h, pivoted to said levers, substantially asand for the purpose specified.

4:. The combination, Withaframe D, adapted to be held in front ofrecording-disks of a gas-meter, of a movable platen adapted to carryslips of paper for receiving the impression, and a spring L for holdingsaid papers in position and returning the platen to inoperativeposition, substantially as specified.

5. The combination, with a frame adapted to be held in front ofrecording-disks of a gasmeter, of a movable platen, devices forpositively moving said platen, and a latch adapted to hold said platenin inoperative position and to release said platen when the frame isbrought into recording position, substantially as specified. i

6. The combination, with a frame D, elbowlevers J, pivoted on said frameD, handle H, bail it, connected with said elbow-levers, and a platen K,adapted to support slips of paper and supported upon said elbow-levers,of catches N, latches m, rods M, and spring n, substantially as and forthe purpose specified.

7. The combination, with the gas-meter having dials and pointers adaptedto be inked, of a device for recording amounts indicated by the dialsand pointers, a shell containing an inking-roller and mounted uponjournals in said recording device, a pin g on said shell, and an edge Gon a meter, adapted to be engaged by said pin g, substantially asspecified.

DORR E. FELT.

* Witnesses: ALBERT H. ADAMS, HARRY T. J ONES.

